There's Always Light After Dark
by Mor'DuTheBronyBear
Summary: What if the witch's curse was really unfixable? What if Queen Elinor and the triplets were bears forever, forced to live in the forest? Follow them on their struggle for survival as they face many enemies and make a new friend along the way. Please review! Chapter 17 up now!
1. Chapter 1

There's Always Light After Dark

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V:

Her arms were around me. The tears were falling. But there was nothing I could do to stop them, to comfort her. The repaired tapestry had failed us. The sun had risen, but even though it was light, there was darkness around us. The sadness was almost too much to handle. "I want you back, Mummy!" The words tugged at my heart. I dared to glance at Fergus. He had a grim expression on his face, the kind that lets you know he's in real pain. The triplets were looking at me, confused at what was happening. Now, despite what anybody says, I still knew that I was the queen of DunBroch. I understood that something had gone wrong with the curse, that the witch had really cheated us, that the curse was really unfixable. To sum it all up, I still had the mind of a human, yet I was bear-like enough that I was unable to understand human speech, yet I could hear Merida as she cried for me. To this day I still don't know why I could hear her and her alone just at that moment. The triplets crawled over to me slowly. "Come with me, lads. We need to leave." "Where are we going, mum?" I thought about that for a moment. "I know just the place. Follow me." I groaned softly, and Merida withdrew her arms. I walked out from under the tapestry, which fell to ground with a soft thud. I went over to Fergus. "Please don't forget me," I pleaded in bear-speak. He just stared sadly. I gathered the boys and walked away into the woods silently, our new life beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Rustling Leaves

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V

The boys and I walked through the forest, the sunlight shining through the leaves and casting odd shadows on the ground. "I'm hungry," Hubert complained. I looked sadly at the little cub, missing the look of his fiery red hair, now replaced with thick black fur. Suddenly, the sound of rushing water interrupted my thoughts. I realized that we were by the stream where Merida and I had fished only a little while ago. "Wait here,lads. I'll catch us some lunch." I walked through the trees and found myself on the bank of the stream. I looked down and saw many delicious-looking fish. I remembered how Merida had taught me to fish. I could feel the tears coming, but I pushed them back. All that was behind me now. I had three hungry bo- er, cubs, to feed. Just as I was about to dip my head in, I heard the boys screaming. I turned around, and my heart stopped for a moment. A huge black bear was behind me, standing on his hind legs. I got on my hind legs as well and roared, prepared to fight to the death for my sons. "WAIT! WAIT! I don't want to hurt you!" "What?" "I just want to know your name." I got back down on all fours. "Well, you didn't have to scare my sons in the process, not to mention me." He shook his black bangs out of his eyes to reveal deep, dark red eyes that were clouded with... sorrow? Worry? Both? I couldn't tell, but I decided it was personal. If he wanted to tell me, he would do it. " You sound like someone I know." He snapped me out of my wandering thoughts. "Really? Well, I've certainly never seen you before. What is your name?" He hesitated before saying, "I believe I asked you first," smiling slyly. I cleared my throat. "I am Queen Elinor of DunBroch, and these are my sons, Princes Hubert, Harris, and Hamish." He bowed and said, "Very pleased to meet you, Your Highness." "I'm very flattered, but I'm not the queen anymore." He looked up in surprise. "Why not?" I took a deep breath and explained the whole curse to him. "Wow", he whispered. "Yes," I said. "It's awful. But at least I have my sons." He got up and sat next to me and put his paw on mine. "Thank you. But I still don't know your name!" "Oh yeah. Sorry. I'm Bhaltair, son of the mighty Mor'Du!" My heart skipped a beat. "Mor'Du had a son? I never knew." "Yep. Say, have you seen him anywhere? We were in the middle of dinner when he ran off to 'protect the forest from the Bear King.' So I just finished dinner and went to bed." I gulped hard. I didn't know how to tell him that his father was dead. "Bhaltair, I must tell you something terrible." I looked into his eyes and the truth spilled out.

**Author's Note: Ooooooooooooh! Cliff hanger! The way you pronounce Bhaltair's name is "Ball Tare". It means strong fighter :) Thank you to all the fans of this story! I hope you're enjoying it! **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Changes

Omniscient P.O.V:

The castle had a depressed air to it. People were doing their duties, going about their everyday lives like normal, but it wasn't normal at all.

Merida was in her room, brushing her bushy red hair, singing the song her mother used to sing to her when she was little. She looked out the window and wondered what her mother and brothers were doing right now. _Wherever they are, I hope they're all right, _she thought with a sad sigh. She went back to her brushing and was almost done when there was a knock at the door. "Merida? Come out for a minute, lass. I'm holding a meeting and you should probably attend. That is, if you feel like it." Her father opened the door and walked over to her. "How about it, lass?" Merida looked at her father, and the tears started to fall. "I miss them, Dad. Mum more than anyone." Fergus wrapped his large arms around her and hugged her gently. "I do too, lass. Probably more than you. That was the woman I loved, the woman I married. She was the mother of my children, my best friend. But she'll never be forgotten. That's why I'm holding a meeting. Only come if you want to, lass." Merida pulled away from her father and sniffed and looked up at him. "I'll attend. I feel that it's my duty as future queen." "Mum would've been proud of your responsible attitude. Come with me." They left the room and walked downstairs to the main hall.

Once everyone was settled into the hall, Fergus called the meeting to order. "Greetings, everyone. I know we've all had a hard time with the recent events. Everyone misses the queen and the young princes, especially Merida and myself. But I have a new law that will be put into place immediately." He took a deep breath and said, "No one in the Highlands, in any clan, will ever hunt a bear again. If someone killed my wife or my sons, I don't know what I would do." The hall erupted into surprised chatter, making Merida cover her ears, as she hated loud noises. Fergus tried to make them calm down, but Merida had to help him out. "SHUT UP!" They quieted down quickly and looked up at Fergus expectantly. "With that said, I have another announcement, this one a wee bit more shocking than the last. I am no longer going to be called the Bear King. I will never slay another bear. I will even burn my skins and trophies. Many of you don't agree, but I'm the king, so you'll just have to deal with it." The subjects were all silent with shock. "Alright, yer all dismissed." They walked out of the hall slowly and quietly, murmuring to each other occasionally about the new rules and adjustments.

Merida stood up. "Dad, are you sure this is what you want? You've always been the Bear King!" Fergus looked at his daughter. "Merida, if something happened to your mother and the boys, I would be torn apart. I would never kill her or the boys on accident because I remember what they look like, and they remember me. But the rest of them are a different story. They might mistake her for some other bear. Mor'Du may be dead, but he wasn't the only bear out in those trees. As long as we don't bother them, they won't bother us. Do you understand now?" "Yes, I do. I will never shoot a bear either, Dad. Promise." Fergus hugged his daughter tenderly. "Thank you for understandin' lass. Let's go eat dinner, shall we?" They walked to the dinning hall together, Fergus's giant arm around his daughter.

**People probably hate me because I'm making them wait ANOTHER day to find out Bhaltair's reaction, but I felt that this chapter was necessary for some reason :) **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Truth

Bhaltair's P.O.V

I couldn't believe it. I felt the world stop spinning for what felt like years before I could breathe again. How could the strongest bear in the forest, the one that taught me to fight, hunt, and fish, get crushed by a stone? It didn't make sense. I always thought that my father would live forever, that he would always be there to guide me and to protect me. What Elinor was telling me made my heart break, each word ripping a little piece at a time until there was nothing left but the tears.

"Bhaltair, I'm so sorry. Mor'Du was a powerful bear, and I'm sure he was a great father. But nobody could've survived that kind of damage. The stone was terribly heavy. But he went down fighting, like the true Mor'Du would." It was only then that I realized that she was hugging me, one of her soft paws caressing my thick black bangs, her words painful yet comforting.

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V:

The only thing I could do for him was to cradle him, comfort him in his time of need. One thing stood out in my mind at that time out of all the other things: How could I tell him that I was partly responsible? I had, after all, slammed Mor'Du into the stone until it cracked and landed on him. I didn't have it in my heart to tell him right then. If I had, he might've left me, and he needed someone to help him. He was about my age, maybe a year or two younger, but everyone needs someone to help them through a loss like that. I watched as his tears fell, and I stroked his bangs, hugging his big, muscular body.

He broke the hug and looked at me, his deep red eyes clouded with sadness.

"Come with me, darling. We'll have some dinner, and then we'll go to a place I know to rest." I led him to the stream, where I caught fish for all four of us and called the boys over to us.

"Boys, this is Bhaltair. He's all alone now, so we'll be taking care of him for a while." He stood up and walked over to the boys. "I'm very sorry I scared you, boys. I didn't mean to look threatening. I just thought it was my father returning home from his journey." Hamish looked at him and said, "That's okay, sir. We were just afraid that it was Mo-" I slapped my paw over his mouth before he could finish. "That's okay, Elinor. I knew what he was going to say." I cleared my throat. "Well, we better get going. It's a long way to the place I have in mind."

Bhaltair's P.O.V:

Elinor, the boys and I walked through the beautiful forest. Sunset was fast approaching, and I was getting tired. Besides, we were near a place that my father and I used to go to when I was a cub, and I felt like paying it a visit. "Elinor, do you think that we could stop here for a minute?" "Yeah", Harris said. "I'm tired!" Elinor looked at the cub with a smile and said, "Alright, lad. We'll rest here." I walked over to a large tree stump with claw markings on it, four extremely large marks and four very small marks; the marks my father and I made the first time we visited that hollow, when I was just a cub. "Hey, Elinor!" I called. "I want you to come see this." She walked over and looked at the marks and smiled. "My father and I did that the first time we visited this hollow," I explained. "He was teaching to mark my territory using claw marks to scare off intruders better than with a scent marker. He said the size of the claw marks would intimidate them and make them run for their lives!" I roared playfully, and Elinor chuckled. "Mor'Du sounds like a great father." "Yeah. He was an incredible father. I'll never forget him." I was tired, so I thought about where a good place to sleep would be. "I wonder..." I thought out loud, and ran behind a bush and gasped at what I saw. "Elinor! You have to see this!" She ran over and joined me behind the bush, and her jaw dropped. A huge cave where my father and I slept on our trips to this hollow was in front of us, the perfect place to sleep. "I'm guessing this is where you and your father spent the night?" "Correct," I replied. We walked inside. It was so dark, you couldn't see your paw in front of your face. I let my nose guide me toward the scent of the nests that were still there after all those years. "Eeeeek!" she screamed. She fell on top of me and knocked me to the floor, her lying on my stomach while I was on my back on the cave floor. "Oh, er, sorry about that," she said, obviously embarrassed about being on top of me in a position like that. "I tripped on a rock." "Don't worry about it," I replied. She got off of me and brushed herself off. If I could see through her fur, I bet her cheeks would be bright red. "Hubert, Hamish, Harris! Come here! Bedtime lads!" she called. They were there within a few seconds. We all climbed into our nests, said goodnight, and fell asleep within minutes, the sounds of the night and the scent of my father comforting me.

**Sorry this was sooooooooooo long! The ideas just kept coming! Ch. 5 soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Discovery

**Dear CollieandShire: Thank you for that useful advice! I'll definitely do that! And I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the story!**

_Two black figures moved through the forest, pelts brushing as they walked. One of them was a very large male, and the other a slightly smaller, beautiful female. They were whispering something to each other, and the bigger of the two figures licked the other figure's ear affectionately._

"_Mor'Du, aren't you worried about Bhaltair?"_

"_Of course not. He's old enough to take care of himself. Besides, you deserve this break, Cara. You work so hard to to take care of Bhaltair, and I think it's good for you to get out into the world and smell the fresh air."_

"_That's very thoughtful of you, darling." She took a deep breath of air and smiled. "You're right. Fresh air is just what I nee-" She was interrupted by a sound coming from a nearby bush._

"_Mor'Du," she whispered. "What's that? In that bush?"_

_Before he could reply, an arrow flew out of the bush and hit Cara directly in her chest. She collapsed, and a man ran out of the bush and shouted triumphantly. "CARA!" Mor'Du yelled. He shook her with his paws desperately, trying to make her get up, to say something. "Please, Cara! I need you!" Suddenly, she looked him in the eyes and said, "Take care of Bhaltair..." Then, her eyes went dull, and her heartbeat stopped. "CARA!" he cried to the sky. He glared at the man, still proclaiming his victory. He was not going to let his wife's death go without revenge. He reared up on his hind legs, and roared the most ferocious roar he could muster. The man fired arrow after arrow into Mor'Du, but his powers prevented any of them from hurting him. He ran towards the man, and in one fierce swipe the man was dead, his blood staining the forest floor. Mor'Du got back on all fours, panting. He examined the body, and saw the symbol of DunBroch on the man's shield. "One of The Bear King's men," he growled. He left the man and walked over to the body of his beloved slowly. He collapsed next to her and sobbed, burying his nose in her fur. "Oh, Cara. I'm so sorry. Don't worry. I will not let this go without a fight." He got up and sniffed, and he scented The Bear King nearby. He roared and ran towards the smell, letting his nose guide him._

_Finally, he was close enough to Fergus that he could attack, but he knew he had to take it slow and plan his attack, rather than just rushing in. He laid down in the grass, and waited for his chance. After a long wait, he finally saw the perfect opportunity: Fergus was right in front of him, and his wife and child were with him as well. _"Excellent," _he thought darkly. He got on his hind legs once again, and ran into the clearing and roared, making Fergus turn around. "MOR'DU!" he shouted. He stabbed him with spear after spear, arrow after arrow, but nothing harmed him. Suddenly, hoof beats caught Mor'Du's attention. He stole a glance to his side and saw that Fergus's wife and daughter were riding away, the child's fiery red hair blowing in the wind. _"Oh well. I'll just have to deal with them later," _he thought, and he returned to the battle. "COME ON, YOU!" Fergus shouted, and Mor'du's eyes searched for Fergus's weakest point: His legs. Without them, he couldn't stand up and fight! In one quick snap, Fergus's left leg was gone, and so was Mor'Du._

_Mor'Du approached his home, the old castle ruins, reluctantly. How could he tell a young cub something like this? He took a deep breath and walked in. _

"_DAD! YOU'RE BACK!" Little Bhaltair ran to his father and climbed on top of him, the way he always did. "Where's Mummy?" Mor'Du gulped. "Well, lad, that's a good question. Come here and sit down." They sat down in the main room of the den. "Your mother isn't coming back." Bhaltair's big red eyes filled with tears. He understood. He could tell by the way his father was talking that his mum was dead. Bhaltair hugged his son tightly. "I know, lad. It hurts. I miss her too." He broke the hug and looked his son in the eyes. "But I will always be here for you."_

**So, now we know why Mor'Du attacked in the beginning of the movie: one of Fergus's men killed Cara, so he swore revenge and attacked Fergus. We also know why Bhaltair's mother was never mentioned. Btw, "Cara" means "beloved, friend", and you pronounce it like Kara. Ch. 6 soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Springtime

Omniscient P.O.V:

Bhaltair woke up with a gasp. His head was spinning because of the dream he had just witnessed. _"So that's how it happened," _he thought. His father had never told him just how it had happened. He shuddered, remembering the way his father had sobbed for his mother, the way the arrow pierced her and how she collapsed. But he was glad that Mor'Du had gotten his revenge.

Beside him, Elinor and the boys stretched and yawned, slowly climbing out of their nests.

"Good morning, Bhaltair," Elinor said politely. "Are you okay, darling?" she asked, seeing that he was shaking slightly, his eyes wide.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm fine. Just had a nightmare." He shook himself, trying to forget the horror that had taken place right before his eyes. He walked out of the cave and took a breath of air, the freshness of it chasing all the bad memories away. He got on the ground and rolled on his back, letting the sun warm his belly, making him feel like a cub again. He heard Elinor chuckle behind him, and he got up quickly, embarrassed that she had seen him like that. Okay, so he might have a little crush on her, but there was no way that she would feel the same way. She had cubs, so she had to have a husband. But then again, since she was a bear, she would never see him again, so maybe... No. He shouldn't feel this way so soon. He'd only known her for two days. If he was serious about this, he should wait.

He glanced at her, admiring her beautiful fur as it shone in the sun. He didn't know if springtime was making him feel like this, or if he really did like her, but one thing was certain: She was gorgeous, kind, and he found his heart pounding a little faster whenever he looked at her.

"Bhaltair, are you... staring at me?"

"What?! Of course not!"

"Yes, you were."

"Okay, I was."

"Why?" He hesitated to tell the truth, but decided he should get it over with. He knew he couldn't win this argument.

"Because I like you and I think you're beautiful."

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V:

I couldn't believe my ears! I mean, I was a married wo-er, she-bear! And he was so...young! Well, maybe not that young, but you get the idea. While I'll admit he was extremely handsome and funny, and he obviously had a big heart, I wasn't sure how I felt about all this.

"Bhaltair, I-I don't know w-what to say," I stuttered. "I'm quite flattered, and I have to say that you're very handsome yourself. But I'm married. I just don't think I could forget my husband so soon and so easily. I hope I'm not hurting you." I snuggled up closer to him and licked his ear in an attempt to show how sorry I was. I hated to tell him that, but that's how I felt.

"It's alright, Elinor. I understand completely. You must miss your husband a lot. I'm sorry I told you that."

"No, it's perfectly alright. To tell the truth, I might fancy you a bit as well. I'm just not ready to move on yet. Maybe one day very soon we can be together." I looked into those deep, red eyes, and my heart swelled at the happiness in them. I knew I had done the right thing by telling him that. It was the complete and honest truth, after all.

**Sorry for all the fluffy stuff! I thought it was a cute chapter... Your thoughts? I personally want them to be a couple, but we'll just have to wait and see... **

**Anyway, I have a brief announcement to all you artists out there! I am would love it if someone could make some fan art of Bhaltair! It's kind of a contest. Whoever shows me the best fan art of Bhaltair gets my permission to use him in ANYTHING! That includes art, stories, comics, you name it! To remind you of how he looks, he's really big and muscular, has black fur, black bangs that fall over his eyes, and his eyes are a deep, dark red. If you're interested, simply:**

**Make your fan art**

**put a link to it in a review of this story. An example of this? Start on the web page that has your fan art on it. Highlight the link in the address bar, right-click the link, and choose Cut. Then, go to any chapter of this story (preferably this chapter), go to the bottom, right-click the Review box and choose Paste. BAM! You have just submitted your fan art to me! Once I choose a winner, I'll tell you in one of my chapters in the future.**

**Thanks! Ch. 7 soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Destiny Beckons

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V:

Hamish trotted along happily in front of me, looking up at the sky. I miss being a child. You're carefree, you don't have any pain, any heartbreak. Just goof off and play all day. Suddenly, he spotted a butterfly and ran into the woods, giggling. "Hamish! Come back here, lad! You don't know what's lurking in there!" Bhaltair had seen him run away as well. "Don't worry, Elinor," he said. "I'll find him. You stay here with Harris and Hubert." His words were comforting to me, and I sat back on my haunches and pulled the other boys close to me.

"Okay Bhaltair. But please be careful."

"Don't worry about me. Stay here. I'll be back soon." I watched as he ran into the woods.

"Please be careful," I pleaded again, even though he was gone.

Bhaltair's P.O.V:

I walked through the woods, the sun going down at a shockingly rapid pace. The woods there looked extremely familiar. I saw a tree that I swear I climbed up once when I was little. My father had had to get me down because I had gotten stuck. I wasn't the brightest cub. "Hamish!" I called. I heard a soft giggle in the distance, so I followed it. "Hamish, this isn't funny. You could get hu-" I stopped when I saw the real source of the giggle. A small, blue floating creature was in the clearing. It seemed to be staring at me. I walked towards it slowly, and it giggled again and disappeared. "What?" I wondered out loud. Suddenly, another one appeared a few feet away from where the last one had been. Then even more appeared, almost like they were leading me up that hill. I decided to follow.

The blue creatures led me even further into the forest, and I suddenly recognized where they were taking me. Sure enough, after a few more minutes we arrived outside my home: the castle ruins. Then, like magic, they all disappeared. I walked through the crumbling gate and was about to go into the castle when I heard a soft growl. "Bhaltair..." the voice beckoned. It sounded so...familiar. So much so that I nearly jumped out of my fur when I heard it. All of a sudden, I heard a whooshing sound, almost like wind, but there was no wind for miles around. I started shaking out of fear. Why did those little monsters lead me here? What happened next still gives me nightmares. Slowly, the spirit of a human man took form right in front of my eyes! "Who are you and what are you doing in my home? And how do you know my name?!" I growled. It looked at me with a confused look on its face. "Oh yes. I forgot you never knew." The man-spirit started sprouting fur and claws and teeth! "This is getting too weird..." I said shakily. Then, the man-spirit roared, and for a brief second my heart stopped beating.

"Father?"

**Sorry about the 2 day wait. I had my internet taken away, but I was having a bad case of writer's block anyway, so I got some time to think. I love torturing you guys with cliff hangers. Mwah ha ha. By the way, my contest for fan art is still going on! I hope to have some entries! I realized that I never gave out a date for when it ends, so the last day to submit your art is February 15, one month from today! Please get creative!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Destiny Beckons cont.

Bhaltair's P.O.V:

"Father?"

I stared at the spirit of my father, Mor'Du.

"Hello, son. It's wonderful to see you again. I'm sorry you had to learn of my death. I'm sorry I broke my promise. I promised you when your mother died that I would always be there for you. But, I am in you heart."

"Why were you a human?!"

He hesitated before answering, "That is not important right now. What's important is why I'm here." My heart started beating faster. Something felt wrong here. I just couldn't tell what it was.

"Why are you here?"

"I have some news that you're not going to like." He took a deep breath and his spirit flickered, startling me a bit. "I have been watching over you, protecting you, since the moment I got crushed with that rock. That means I have seen the bear you're currently traveling with. I also understand that you're a little bit in love with her, am I right?" I shuffled my paws. I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment underneath my fur. "Well, yeah. A bit." He looked... angry at my response?

"Bhaltair, I forbid you to take her as your mate."

"What?!"

"You know how your mother died. It was one of the Bear King's men that shot her. The bear you're traveling with is the Bear King's wife! That's why I showed you that dream last night! To prepare you for this and to make sure that you understand."

"Dad, I love her! And she feels the same way! She's just not over her husband yet." I swung my bangs out of my face to show him my anger. "You can't do this!" He glared at me, his eyes flashing. "Silence! You will do what I say! I am your father! I have another thing to tell you anyway." Thinking there couldn't be anything worse than what he just told me, I said, "What?"

"You must kill the Bear King and rule his kingdom." My head started spinning, my heart ached. How could I do that to Elinor and the boys? Not to mention that red-haired child that I saw in the dream! It would crush them, and I just couldn't bear to see Elinor in pain like that. I hung my head low, the dizziness not going away.

"Did you ever think about the way I might feel about this?" I stated quietly. "Did you ever think about how much pain it would cause me? I mean, you want me to murder somebody just because you didn't get to do it 10 years ago! I love Elinor! Do you realize how much pain she and her children would be in if I killed him?"

"This is not about feelings! This about settling the score between the Bear King and I! Think about what he did to us! He may not have murdered your mother, but he's the one that sent that man to hunt! And guess what, Bhaltair? He was hunting BEAR! He could've killed both of us! Don't you see why this is so important?! I thought I could count on you for this!"

I sighed, feeling pitifully defeated. But I still had one more question. "What do you mean by 'rule his kingdom'? I'm a BEAR!"

"Just leave that up to me. Whenever you're ready to honor your family, come back to this spot, and I will prepare you." With that, his voice faded, and his spirit disappeared.

I walked back through the woods, my head pounding. It was all too much to handle. I either kill the Bear King and watch my beloved suffer, or I don't and my father hates me forever.

Pretty soon, Hamish came tumbling down a hill and landed right in front of my paws. He looked into my eyes and giggled. I opened my mouth to scold him, but I didn't have it in my heart to do it. "Come with me, Hamish. Let's get back to your mother" He whined and protested, but I just picked him up by the scruff and walked slowly to where my Elinor sat, waiting patiently.

"You found him!" She ran over to me and pinned me down with a paw and kissed me right on the lips! Whatever sadness that I had before was washed away with bliss. "Thank you so much!" She gave me one more quick peck before running over to inspect Hamish, checking him all over for bumps and bruises.

I sat up and stared at her, "Whoa" the only thing I could utter out of the mouth that had just been kissed by the love of my life. Finally, I recovered enough to say, "I guess you're sure about me now?" She stopped her inspecting and looked at me. "Hamish, don't move a SINGLE muscle." She walked over to me and circled me, rubbing her fur against mine. "Well, I've been doing some thinking while you were gone, and I realized that I will never see Fergus again. Besides, your charms have made me fall in love with you." She kissed me again, and I returned the kiss eagerly. My heart was split in two at that point. I decided that I should talk to her. I decided that she would understand. I released the kiss. "Meet me by that creek over there tonight. We need to talk."

**Awwwwwwwwwwwww! Yep, it just happened. Poor Bhaltair. He has such a suckish life.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: "The Future of Us"

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V:

I walked to the creek, the calming murmur of it guiding me. I couldn't wait to see Bhaltair, but I had no clue about what he was up to. I figured it was about us, about being together. I continued walking, the moonlight shining on the ground.

Soon, I scented Bhaltair, and the sound of the creek water grew stronger. I emerged through the trees, and I gasped at the beauty of the creek at night, the moon reflecting on its surface, glittering and rippling smoothly. I saw Bhaltair, leaning next to the creek, looking in, as if he was looking for something beneath the surface of the water. I cleared my throat, and he turned and looked at me, a huge smile on his face.

"I've been waiting for you," he said softly, almost in a whisper. I walked to him and rubbed against him, feeling his muscles underneath his fur. I looked into his eyes, and I saw anxiety in them.

"Bhaltair, is something wrong?" He looked at me, tears forming in those deep, red, hypnotizing eyes. I knew something had to be wrong then. I put my paw on his like he did for me that day. I got closer and put my head on top of his, letting him cry. I still didn't know why he was crying, but I knew I had to be there for him. "Bhaltair, what's wrong?" I whispered, not removing my head nor my paw. He finally stopped crying, and he picked his head up and looked at me. "I have a big problem, Elinor. I need your help. I can't do this without you." We leaned in and he kissed me, a few leftover tears falling on my snout. I released the kiss, curious about what the tears were for, and about the help he needed. "I would do anything for you," I whispered, and we laid down on the creek bank, our paws on top of each other's paws.

"Elinor," he sighed, "when I was looking for Hamish today, I found these odd blue creatures floating in front of me, and they led me to my old home." I gasped, surprised that the wisps had obviously interfered in my life once again. "Those were the Will o' the Wisps. Some people say that they lead you to your fate." He looked at me, a worried expression on his face, one of his eyes covered up by his bangs.

"Well, if that's the case, then I guess I have to do it," he mumbled under his breath.

"For the last time, Bhaltair, what happened?"

"When I got to my old home, my father's spirit appeared, and he was angry with me. Angry because we love each other."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"He's mad because you're the wife, or ex-wife, of the Bear King, the man he hates more than anything. He 'forbid' me to be with you."

"I don't know what to say. I thought we would be together forever! I love you."

"I love you too. But it gets worse. He wants me to..." He stopped, as if it was too horrible to tell. "Please tell me." He looked at me, and I could tell that his heart was breaking. He took a deep breath and said, "He wants me to murder your husband."

My heart stopped for a second. "You can't do that! Please tell me you won't! Why does he hate Fergus so much?"

"One of his men killed my mother a long time ago, when I was just a cub. Ever since then, he's wanted revenge, and he expects me to do it." He looked at me. "I need your help, Elinor. What should I do? I don't want to kill Fergus. I couldn't watch you and your kids suffer. I love you all too much. If I don't do what my father wishes, I don't know what will happen." His head collapsed on the shore, a small cloud of dust rising up from the thump. He started sobbing, his tears turning the bank to mud. My heart was cracking in two as well. I couldn't understand it. I knew Bhaltair didn't want to hurt me, but I was hurt none the less. I loved Bhaltair, and I decided right then and there that hell would freeze over before I let some dead bear come between us! I nudged Bhaltair to a sitting position softly. "Bhaltair, you will not listen to your father. We love each other," I kissed him, "and that's all that matters. Don't worry about a thing." He looked at me, his eyes serious. "Are you sure?" I pinned him down with a paw playfully and kissed him like I hadn't kissed anyone before, even Fergus. For a brief second I opened my eyes to see that his were closed in pleasure. He looked so calm, but I could tell there was still doubt in his mind. I let him up. "Does that answer your question?" I collapsed on top of him and snuggled under his chin, drinking up his wonderful scent. He put a paw around me, and we simply laid there, thinking about the future of us.

**I might decide to make a side story to this chapter with nothing but fluffy sweetness :) But I will NEVER write a lemon, so don't ask me. If someone out there is good at writing lemons, please feel free to use Bhaltair for that, because although I refuse to write one, I would love to see one! So if you want to be an awesome person and write a lemon of Elinor and Bhaltair at this moment, I would love you forever! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Honoring Her Mother

**Wow! Chapter 10 already! I honestly didn't think this story would get this far. Thank you to everybody that reads this story and thank you for your reviews! They have inspired me to keep going even when I had writer's block! I don't think I could have done it without you guys :) -huge group hug- Anyway, ONTO THE STORY!**

Merida's P.O.V:

Life for Dad and I continued, even though the kingdom wasn't too happy about the new "no bear hunting" law. In fact, things got so crazy once that one man started shooting arrows at Dad! Afterwords, he threw the man in the dungeon "for all eternity". I didn't blame Dad for that one. That man was violent!

Meanwhile, I decided that the best way to get used to life without Mum and the boys was to fulfill her wishes and try to find a decent suitor. Emphasis on try. Yes, there was plenty of nice looking men in the village, but none of them really made my heart leap. So, I decided to talk to Dad about letting me travel on my own, meet new people, and find the future king.

I walked through the whole entire castle, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I looked outside in the stables, and all I saw was Angus eating his oats. Why I looked in the stables, I don't know. I was desperate!

I finally found him in the forest, in the middle of that odd stone circle. He was just sitting there, carving spear heads.

"Dad, can I talk to you?" He jumped and turned around and looked at me.

"What are you doin' out here, lass? Without yer bow, without Angus? Some beast could've gotten ya!"

"Dad, what other beasts are there? Mor'Du is dead, remember?"

"Oh yeah. I always seem ta forget that. Anyway, yes, we'll talk. What about, dear?"

"Well, as you know, I've been trying to find a nice man to settle down with, so I can become queen like you and Mum wanted. But the trouble is, I don't like any of the men in the village. They're not that bad, it's just that I need to find someone I really love. You understand, right Dad?" He looked me and nodded.

"So is that it?"

"Well, no. I was going to ask you if you would let me and Angus travel around, meet new people. I would have plenty of arrows, and Angus would do anything for me. I would be perfectly safe."

"Merida, I think that's a wonderful idea. I'm very proud of you for honoring your mother by finding a nice lad. But I will only let you go on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"That you find your mother and brothers and bring them to me. I want to see them. That's why I'm here in this circle. I was hoping that they might smell me and come running." I got teared up, and I hated getting weepy. I hugged Dad and tried to hold the stupid tears back. "Of course I will. I will search for them everywhere I go."

"Thank you, lass." He released the hug. "When are you expecting to leave?"

"Today, if I can. I'll go saddle Angus and pack a good supply of food and water for the both of us." With that, I said bye and ran back to the castle, feeling happier than I had in weeks.

I ran inside and got a large drawstring bag made out of rich leather, one that Mum gave me. I filled it with apples and carrots for me, and oats for Angus. Then, I filled 10 canteens with water and put it all in the bag. I grabbed my bow and plenty of arrows, about 50, and climbed on Angus. I kicked him in the side, and we raced towards the forest, my quest beginning.

Bhaltair's P.O.V:

I woke up with Elinor on top of me, the creek accompanying the soft, gentle sound of her breathing. I smiled, then I remembered what had happened the night before. Elinor was so kind, always there for anybody that needs her. She opened my eyes and washed my fear away. I knew what the right thing to do was, and that was to stay with Elinor. The only thing I couldn't shake was the feeling that my father was still watching me, and that he was angry.

I nudged her head with my paw gently, and she opened her eyes and and smiled.

"Good morning, handsome."

"Same to you, beautiful." She slowly removed her head from my chest and licked my head, making my bangs get fuzzy. "I love it when you do that," I murmured, and I kissed her nose. She giggled and snuggled back under my chin. "I never want to leave here," she said dreamily. "But we need to. We still need to get to our new home that I have in mind." She got up again, quicker this time, and walked back into the clearing where she left the boys last night. I stayed behind and caught us some fish for breakfast, and I carried them into the clearing.

"Breakfast, everyone!"

"YAAAAAAAAAY!" the boys squealed. They fought over the same fish for a good 10 minutes, which made me and Elinor laugh our tails off, and that's not a good thing to do when you're trying to eat. Trust me. I almost got a fish tail stuck in my throat!

"Alright everybody!" Elinor announced. "Let's get going. We're almost to our new home, but we still can't dally around!" We walked out of the clearing and into the fresh sunlight, the boys slipping and sliding on the dewy ground. "Be careful, lads." Elinor warned. And, of course, all three of them proceeded to fall on their faces.

Soon, I heard a waterfall in the distance. "Elinor, do your hear that?" She stopped for a second and listened, and nodded. "We're very close now, Bhaltair."

We walked about thirty more minutes, and my jaw fell to the ground. The waterfall was enormous! Off in the distance, there was a village with lots of people, but they couldn't see us. We were protected by the flowing falls. There was a little pool in the center of the clearing for water, and there was a few spots where the sun shone in order to have a nice nap. Off in the distance, I heard the calming sound of birds. Elinor walked up next to me and nuzzled my face.

"Welcome to our new home, my family."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Omniscient P.O.V:

Bhaltair looked around their new home in amazement. It was beautiful. The afternoon sunshine reflected off of the pool in the center, making little glimmers of light fly bounce over the trees and the ground. Whenever Bhaltair looked into the pool, it was full of fish! They had food and water right there. The whole clearing was shady, but they all decided to sleep in the last of the afternoon sunshine. Elinor and Bhaltair crawled into one of the sun-beds, and the triplets got in separate spots. They fell asleep quickly, Elinor and Bhaltair curled up together in a little ball.

They were woken up the next morning by the sound of the flowing falls. The village on the other side of the water fall was in an uproar about some new girl that had just arrived. Apparently, she had hair as red as fire and eyes as blue as ice.

The bears caught fish from the pool and had breakfast, and Elinor sent the boys off to play for a while. Meanwhile, she and Bhaltair decided to make proper beds, as the sun wouldn't always be out for them to sleep in. They collected giant amounts of moss from the top of the falls, where they flowed out. It wasn't an easy task.

"Bhaltair, watch out!" Elinor cried. He almost fell into the falls. His mouth was full of soft moss, and he couldn't see where he was going. Regaining his balance, he said slyly,"I meant to do that." They both laughed, and then Bhaltair had an idea.

"Elinor, why don't we get back to the clearing the easy way?"

"And how would that be, darling?" He nodded his head towards the falls, and Elinor's eyes got wide.

"You can't be serious."

"Oh, yes I am!" Without another word, he pushed Elinor into the water, and she slid down the falls, screaming all the way down. Soon, he heard a splash. "That was amazing!" she called. "You have to try it!" He smiled, glad he could brighten her day. "Okay, watch out! I'm coming!" He jumped into the water, and the current pushed him down the falls until he was in midair, nothing but the water around him. "YEEEEAAAAAAAAH!" he shouted. Then, before he knew it, he was underwater. He climbed out and shook his fur dry. "Bhaltair, watch where you shake!" Elinor yelled. "Sorry." He laid the moss on the ground. Their fall into the water had gotten it soaking wet. "Now our moss is wet!" Elinor complained. "Don't worry. The sun will dry it. Let's go arrange it now so it can get warm and toasty." They picked up their moss and walked over to the sun-beds and arranged it in four circles: one very large bed for Bhaltair and Elinor to share, and three tiny ones for the boys. "Wait a second," Elinor said suddenly. "What if it rains? These holes in the trees will let rainwater soak us! We need more moss so we can make beds under shelter." Bhaltair sighed. "Back to the falls we go."

Merida's P.O.V:

Angus and I ran through the forest. We passed many places I remembered, like the river Mum and I fished from, and the path that led to Mor'Du's ruin-home. I kept going though, even though the river brought back memories that made me teary. "Stupid tears," I muttered out loud as we rode. Did I mention that I hate getting weepy? Well, I do.

I felt Angus get slower, and I knew he must've gotten tired. "You thirsty, lad?" He neighed, as if saying yes. So, I got a canteen out and held it in front of his face. He took it in his mouth and flipped his head up to the sky and drank it all. "Now that's one trick I don't think I've seen you do," I told him. He swished his tail in my face playfully, and I climbed on him again and we took off.

After a while, we found a clearing. It looked like something small had been sleeping there. Then I spotted the little tunnel that led to the creek. When I got to the creek, I refilled my empty canteen and sat down. I looked around and saw a big circle in the grass where something had been sleeping. It was almost... bear sized. I gasped as I remembered that I was supposed to be looking for Mum and the boys! Well, Mum was definitely here at some point, and the boys must've slept in the clearing. But why would Mum separate herself from the boys?

I walked back through the tunnel and climbed on Angus. "C'mon, boy. I think we're close to finding Mum." With that, we rode off again.

About thirty minutes later, I came to an opening in the forest. We walked out of it and into the afternoon sun. "Let's stop here, boy." I climbed off of him and got out an apple for me. Then I sprinkled some oats on the ground for Angus. He gobbled them up happily. Then he tried to eat my apple. I hit him lightly on the head. "That's mine, silly!" I pulled out an apple for him and tossed it to him. He ate it in one bite, then collapsed on the ground and fell asleep. I yawned and got a quick drink from my canteen. "Good thinking, boy. I'm a wee bit tired, too." I found a nice, fluffy patch of grass, and I was asleep in seconds, or so it felt like.

We woke up the next morning to the sun shining in our faces. I sighed and got up and stretched. "What a wake-up call," I groaned, trying to get the spots out of my eyes from where the sun hit me in the face. I pulled out a carrot and chomped it down while Angus had some oats. Then, we rode off again.

I heard voices, and they were close. "Maybe it's a village," I said. I kept riding, and sure enough, I found a village. Off in the distance, there was a huge waterfall. I could tell there was a bit of forest behind the falls. "We'll have to look there later," I told Angus. We trotted up to the gate of the village, and the guard stopped us. "Who goes there?" I hopped off of Angus and walked up to him. "I am Merida, princess of DunBroch, daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor." He dropped the spear that he was pointing at me and bowed. "Sorry about that, princess. Right this way." He motioned for us to go through the gate, so we walked in slowly. Pretty soon, people started appearing, looking at us like they had never seen a girl and a horse before. They started whispering to each other, and I knew it was about me. I didn't know what their problem was, but I was going to find out why they were treating me like something special. As far as I knew, they didn't know I was a princess. But maybe they did somehow. Suddenly, a big, muscly man approached us and bowed. He wasn't anything fancy. He was just a random person, I figured. But he was extremely handsome. He had the eyes the color of spring grass, bright green. His hair was short, black, and spiky, and he was shirtless, so I could see his muscular upper body. I realized that I was staring, so I looked away, blushing. "Hello, Merida." he said in a very deep voice.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"I'm the town's psychic. I know everything." He smiled, and I laughed a little.

"So what brings you here?" I didn't want to tell him that I was searching for my future husband, so I just said, "I just wanted to be alone, do some thinking, explore a little."

"I see. Would you like a room to stay in while you're here?"

"Thank you!"

"You're very welcome. Come with me." I followed him to a barn with a lot of horses. "This is where your horse can stay." I led Angus inside and got him settled, then I followed the man to a nice little cottage on a hill. "Here's where you'll be staying," he said as we walked inside. It was very large on the inside, and it had a full kitchen and bathroom. "This is very nice!" I said. "Thank you again." He started walking out the front door, but before he was gone, he said, "Come see me in my psychic hut tonight. It's the third hut on the left." And he was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Mysterious Man

**CollieandShire: Just in case you haven't researched it yet, a psychic is just a big fancy word for mind reader. They read minds, tell fortunes, and sometimes they tell the future. And I completely understand about you being busy. Don't sweat it! I've been very busy myself. In fact, I didn't get to write a chapter on Friday because I had honor band practice, and I didn't get home until about 9:00 that night, which is really late for me! Anyway, STORY TIME!**

Merida's P.O.V

I sat in the big, comfy chair by the window, watching the sun set. It was almost time to go to that psychic's hut, and I was a bit nervous. I mean, I didn't know what he wanted to do to me. Tell my fortune? My fortune wasn't that great, and I knew that. But I decided I shouldn't be rude, so I left my house and searched for his hut. I counted the houses, and soon I found the third one on the left.

I walked up to it slowly and knocked on the door. It opened slowly, and a voice from inside called, "Enter, Merida." How did he know it was me? I shrugged and went inside.

"I'm glad you came. Please, sit down." I smiled politely and sat down, still a little freaked out about the way his voice was coming from nowhere. Finally, he walked out of the shadows of the dark hut and smiled. He was holding a crystal ball in one hand, and in the other was a cup of tea. He handed me the tea and put the ball on the table in front of me. Then he sat down across from me.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome. Now, you must wonder why I wanted you to come. You see, whenever we have new visitors to the village, I always give them a free session of their choice: fortune telling, future telling, or mind reading. So I ask you, fair maiden, what shall it be tonight?" I thought for a minute, and decided the most useful choice.

"Future telling, please."

"As you wish." He looked into my eyes for a long time, as if he was searching my thoughts. And apparently he was, because the next thing he said was,"I sense you are in pain of some kind. Would I be correct in saying so?" I couldn't believe he knew that!  
"Well, yes. You see, my mother-"

"Shhh," he said. "Let the master work," he whispered, and he gave me a small smile. He sat there a few more minutes, his head in his hands, thinking hard.

"Your Mum and little brothers were turned into bears by a witch."

"How did you know that?"

"I'm a psychic. It's what I do. Now, for you future. Put you right hand on the crystal ball, and the left one over your heart." I did what he asked.

"Now, before we start, I have one other thing that I must figure out." He sat there again, but it only took him a second before he said, "You're here to find the new heir to the throne of DunBroch, or in other words, you're looking for a husband." I felt my face grow bright red, and I stared at my feet. "Based on your reaction," he chuckled, "I got it right." I just nodded and smiled shyly. He smiled and said, "Now, for your future. Just close your eyes and relax." I shut my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to relax. Then, all of a sudden, I felt some kind of dust fall into my hair, and I became so relaxed I could barely keep my eyes open! "Don't be alarmed. I noticed you were having trouble relaxing, so I gave you some Relaxation Powder. Many people have trouble relaxing here. I can never understand why..." I couldn't see what he was doing, but I heard him whisper something, then he said, "Open your eyes." When I did, I saw myself in the crystal ball. As I watched, a man came into the scene and kissed me right on the lips! I couldn't see his face, but his form looked so familiar... He had muscles and he carried a sword. That's all I could tell about him. As the scene went on, I saw the man and I sitting in the throne room, me in the queen's chair, and the man in the king's chair. Then, to my surprise, I saw Mum, Dad, and the boys sitting where the subjects sit! And they were humans! Then, as the scene continued, in the chair where the boys used to sit, there were two girls and a boy with my hair color! "This is getting really weird..." I said. Then the scene in the ball faded, and I slouched down in my chair with a sigh.

"Wow."

"I assure you, everything you have just seen is true, but many things will still come as a shock to you, some more than the others, and some events may happen quicker than others."

"Well, thank you for this...unique experience, but I need to get going."

"Thank you for coming tonight, and I hope that your future is a happy one." I turned around to wave goodbye, but he was gone.

I got back to my cottage and went strait to bed. I needed to think about what those strange events in the ball meant. Obviously, I was going to find Mum and the boys, and somehow they were going to be turned into humans, and I was going to find a husband that I loved and have...children. That part was a little difficult to think about. I didn't even know who I was going to marry, and already I saw myself with children in the crystal ball! I sighed and closed my eyes, and I fell asleep almost instantly.

The next day, I woke up and remembered what I was going to do. I jumped out of bed, got dressed, grabbed an apple, and rushed outside and saddled Angus. I was going to find Mum if it was the last thing I did.

We ran towards the water fall stopped. Angus whinnied, afraid to get wet. "C' 's just a bit of water! Please? Do it for me." He turned his head to look at me, and I saw fear in his eyes. I didn't want to make him do it, but there was no other way to get behind the falls. "I promise you'll be fine." He sighed, backed up, and got a running start. With a whoosh, we were behind the falls in a nice little den. It took a few minutes for my mind to realize that there were five bears in front of me! Wait... one, two, three, four...five? Who was this other bear, and why was it curled up with Mum? I walked over to Harris and nudged him softly. He opened his eyes and screamed with delight. "MERIDA!"

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V

"MERIDA!" That was the first thing I heard before opening my eyes and seeing my beautiful daughter standing there, her hair flowing in the breeze, Angus beside her.

"Elinor, what's go-" Bhaltair started to speak, but he stopped, and his jaw dropped. "That girl in the dream..." he said. I had no idea what he was talking about but I didn't really care.

"Oh, darling! What are you doing here?"

"Mum? How can I understand you?"

"I don't know, sweetie, but I don't care. You're here!" I ran to her and wrapped my paws around her, Merida laughing with happiness. "It's so good to see you! We've all missed you, Mum." Then, I saw the boys rushing towards us, a flurry of little paws and happy screams. They tackled Merida, and she started laughing again. "We missed you, Sissy!" She picked them all up at once and hugged them. "I missed you too." Then she kissed them on their heads, and did the same to me. Bhaltair walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. "So this is your daughter, darling?" Merida's eyes got wide at the kiss and his words.

"Darling?!"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Not-So-Pleasant Surprise

Merida's P.O.V:

"Darling?! What's that supposed to mean?" I looked at Mum and the other bear, and the other bear had his paw on top of hers, as if he was helping her to say something difficult. And apparently he was. "I think you should tell her, Elinor. She'll understand." Mum sighed and shut her eyes for a second. When she opened them, she took a deep breath and said, "Merida, I don't really know how to tell you this. This bear is named Bhaltair. The boys and I met him a few weeks ago while we were fishing. His father, Mor'Du, had just been killed, and he had nobody to live with, nobody there for him. So, I took him in and took him here so we could all live together. But while we were traveling here, our friendship grew into a wee bit more than friendship." I just stared at her, still a little confused.

"What does all that mean?"

"It means that Bhaltair and I love each other. You could say that he's my... second husband." Then, Bhaltair stepped up to me and spoke, his massive body casting a frighting shadow over me.

"Merida, I know you weren't expecting your mother to be with somebody else, but I love her, and she loves me. We're married now." He walked over and tried to hug me, but I pushed him away. "Don't touch me! Mum, you and the boys were supposed to come home with me! You're supposed to love Dad! In fact, Dad sent me to find you and bring you to him, and this is what I find! Some bear I don't even know that's apparently my step father!" I started to get on Angus and ride back to the village, but before I could, Mum swept me into a hug, and before I could stop them, the tears fell in huge streams, and I just laid in Mum's arms and sobbed into her fur. "Oh, Mum! I just don't know what to do! What will Dad think about all this? I'm not sure that I can bring you home now!" I felt her big claws stroke through my curly hair, the way she used to do with her fingers when I was little, and soon I heard her singing the beautiful and calming song that took me back to my childhood.

_A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth_

_Mise ri d' thaobh, O mhaighdean bhan_

_Ar righinn oig, fas as faic_

_Do thir, dileas fhein_

_A ghrian a's a ghealaich, stuir sinn_

_Gu uair ar cliu's ar gloire_

_Naoidhean bhig, ar righinn og_

_Mhaighdean uashaill bhan._

As she sang, I felt my tears stop. I felt Mum use her soft paws to dry my eyes. "I'll always be here, my darling. No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you." I looked at her and smiled, all my worry washed away. "Thanks, Mum. I understand that you two love each other." I sighed and got up and stretched. "I hope Dad doesn't take it too horribly. He wants to see you so bad, and now you don't love him anymore."

"I will come home with you. He needs to know that I don't love him as a husband anymore, but as a friend." My eyes lit up. "Okay! Let's go." Suddenly, Bhaltair spoke up. "What about me?" Mum looked at him affectionately and pinned him down on the ground playfully and kissed him deeply. I almost couldn't watch. When they got up, he said, "What was that for?" Mum giggled and said, "A confidence booster." Then her face grew quite serious. "You need to come. Fergus will understand better if you're actually there." The she called, "Come, everyone! Let's go home." I climbed on Angus, and we trotted along, the bears walking beside us, Mum nuzzling Bhaltair.

Omniscient P.O.V:

_He watched them walk. Perfect. He would get to finish what he started. His wife- well, ex wife- and children were heading back to the castle. Now was the ultimate chance. But, he had a better idea._

_He arrived outside the castle, and watched with a smile as the villagers ran screaming. When Fergus appeared outside the castle with his bow and arrows to see what the commotion was about, he almost fainted with shock. "How-?" But before he could even fire an arrow, he grabbed Fergus and flew to the castle's throne room. Then, a huge metal cage appeared out of nowhere. He dropped Fergus into the cage, and the door slammed shut with a loud clang. "Let me out, beast! You will,not hold me here! I'm the king!" Fergus pushed and pulled on the bars of the cage, but it was no use. Then, in front of the cage, a bluish glow surrounding him, stood the spirit of Mor'Du, holding the keys to the cage in his long, bloodstained claws. He laughed and smiled at what he had done. "Your family is coming home, foolish man. And I've got news for you: Your wife doesn't love you anymore. She loves my son, Bhaltair. And guess what?" He reached his huge transparent spirit paw through the bars and pinned Fergus down to the floor of the cage. "I'm not happy about it. I hate you. I hate this kingdom. I hate the man that killed my beautiful wife, but he suffered his rightful fate" He let Fergus up._

"_What man?"_

"_The man that you sent on a bear hunt 10 years ago!"_

"_So that's why we never found him! You beast!"_

"_He killed my wife for no reason! We weren't hurting anything! We were taking a peaceful walk in the forest! That hunter appeared out of a bush and shot my beautiful Cara with an arrow! I ripped the man to sheds. Once the job was done, I found the symbol of your clan on his shield. I came after you, and I haven't rested since." Fergus stood there, shocked. _

"_My Elinor doesn't love me anymore?"_

"_No. And when she and your children arrive," he growled and bit the cage bars ferociously, "I'll be waiting for them." With that, he flew out of the room, laughing loudly._

_After a few minutes, Maudie came down the stairs and gasped. "Maudie, I need you to write a letter to the clans. We need their help more than ever."_

**I DO NOT OWN THE SONG ABOVE! I thought it would be cute to put it in the story. If you want to know the translations,ask me in a review and I'll tell you in the next chapter. **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: "Why, dear?"

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V:

Our odd little group arrived outside the castle, but there was no one to be seen. I couldn't even find Fergus. "Merida, where is everyone? Did they go off to fight a war or something?" She just shook her head. Dark storm clouds loomed over us, and a rain drop hit Hubert on the nose, make him shriek.

"Mum, it's raining," Merida stated. "We need to go inside."

"Okay. But I'm not too happy about the way the castle looks." I felt Merida rub my head gently.

"Don't worry," she told me as we walked into the throne room. "Everything will be ju-" She stopped when she saw Fergus in a huge metal cage, desperately trying to get out. "Dad? What are you doing in there?" We ran over to the cage and he gasped when he saw Bhaltair. "You must be Mor'Du's son." he whispered. Bhaltair's eyes grew wide. "H-how do you know that?" he stammered.

"Mor'Du is the one that put me in this bloody cage! He said it's revenge!"

"That doesn't make any sense. What did you do?" I asked.

"I didn't do anything! Remember that hunter that we never found? The one I sent on a hunt while we were celebrating Merida's birthday?"

"Yes. Why?"

"That man killed Mor'Du's mate! So he's been after me ever since then. He's also angry that you and that thing love each other. Which brings me to my next question: Why, dear?" I looked into his eyes and saw how much pain he was in.

"Fergus, I'm sorry. I never would've let myself fall in love with somebody else if I had any idea that I would see you again. I figured that since I'm a bear, it was okay to be with someone of my own, er, kind. Bhaltair was visited by his father, but we decided to ignore Mor'Du, that he wouldn't do anything."

"It's true, Your Majesty." Bhaltair spoke up. "My father wanted me to kill you. But I refused. I refused because I love Elinor, and she loves me. I couldn't stand to see her in pain. If I killed you, she would be a wreck. And the boys, as well." Fergus closed his eyes and sat down in the cage, his back towards the front. I could hear faint sobbing sounds. I turned to Bhaltair and nuzzled him. "Take Merida and the boys outside. If anything happens, call me. I need to talk to Fergus alone," I whispered as quietly as I could. He kissed my check softly. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you too. I won't be long."

I watched Bhaltair and the children walk outside. Now came the painful part. My heart ached seeing Fergus like that, not because I loved him, but because it was all my fault. I let my foolish feelings get between us.

I pushed my paw in through the cage as far as it would go and stroked Fergus's surprisingly soft hair. "Oh, Fergus," I whispered. "I truly am sorry. If I had never met Bhaltair, I would be with you. But I just can't force myself to feel a certain way." He stopped crying and looked at me. I wiped his tears away with my paw, and he kissed it lightly. "Elinor, I love you more than anything in the world. I always will." I pressed my face against the bars of the cage, and he did the same. We kissed one last time before he said, "I love you enough to let you go. I want nothing more than for you to be happy, and I know that you're happy with Bhaltair."

"Thank you, darling."

"But I want you to be careful. Mor'Du is out there somewhere, lass, and he's furious."

"Don't worry about me. It's you I'm worried about. Where is everyone?"

"Mor'Du scared them off. One look at him and they were gone. But don't worry. I told Maudie to send a letter to clans to help us." I was about to say something when I heard Merida scream. "I'll be back." I told Fergus. Then I ran out of the throne room and into the courtyard, and there stood Mor'Du, a furious look on his face. Bhaltair was standing in front of the children, protecting them from the wrath that Mor'Du was sure to bring.

"How dare you disobey me?! How dare you stand against your own father and protect _their _children?!" Bhaltair roared and charged at Mor'Du, but he just ran through his transparent body. He disappeared, then took form behind Bhaltair. "LOOK OUT!" I screamed. He turned just in time. He snarled, "I disobeyed you because I found the bear of my dreams! I love her more than anything, and I will gladly die if it means she and her children are safe! BRING IT ON, YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!" Mor'Du roared and slapped Bhaltair's face, blood pouring from the gashes. "BE CAREFUL, DARLING!" I screamed. I heard something behind me, and I turned around and saw Merida firing arrows into Mor'Du. He growled, "Foolish girl! Now I can finish what I started all those years ago!" He advanced towards us slowly, grunting with every paw step. Before he could hurt us, a loud battle cry sounded behind us. I turned and looked at the gate, and there stood the lords Macintosh, Dingwall, and MacGuffin, followed by their sons and the rest of their clans. "We're here to kill the beast once and for all!" Lord Macintosh cried, Young Macintosh drawing his sword and swinging it in an attempt to impress Merida. They all ran into the courtyard, firing arrows and throwing spears. Suddenly, I saw the key hanging around Mor'Du's neck. "LORDS, GET THE KEY FROM HIS NECK! THEN WE CAN RELEASE FERGUS!" The lords ran towards Mor'Du. Wee Dingwall climbed on top of Young MacGuffin's shoulders to reach the key, while Young Macintosh distracted Mor'Du by slicing and stabbing into his soft belly. It didn't harm him, of course, but it kept Mor'Du away from the men trying to get his key. A spine-chilling scream shot through the air, and I saw Mor'Du's paw slashing out towards Merida. Young Macintosh sprinted towards Merida and stood in front of her, protecting her. "What are you doing?!" Merida screamed. "Protecting a beautiful girl from an ugly bear!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Mor'Du hit him and knocked him to the ground, where he lay in a puddle of blood. Merida screamed again and grabbed the boys, holding them close to comfort them.

I heard a yell of victory and an angry roar from Mor'Du, and I called to the men. "Give me the key! You two help fight!" I ran back inside with the key in my mouth and unlocked the cage.

"What's happening out there?"  
"The clans are helping us fight off Mor'Du, but we need your help!"

We ran back outside, and Bhaltair had backed his father into a corner. "Merida! Throw me a spear!" Fergus called. She did as he asked, and he ran over to Mor'Du, stabbing it through Mor'Du's chest. But, of course, it did nothing to hurt him. Bhaltair ran over to help Fergus and swiped his claws through Mor'Du's face, which also did nothing to harm him. All of a sudden, it hit me. The way to defeat Mor'Du was so simple, I felt like an idiot because it took me so long to figure it out. The solution, after all, came from personal experience. "Bhaltair!" I called. "You have to make up with him! Then he'll be a human and we'll be able to defeat him!" He looked at me, clearly clueless. "How am I supposed to do that? He's trying to kill me!" Before I could answer, he got a sudden look of realization on his face. "Dad, STOP!" To my surprise, he stopped slashing at the men and stood there, dumbfounded.

"What, son? What do you want?"

"We don't have to fight, you know."

"Oh, shut up and get out of my way!"  
Bhaltair stood his ground. "No. Dad, I love you. I don't like fighting with you, and I didn't want to disobey you, but when you love som-"

"Don't talk to me about love!" he interrupted. "I loved your mother! I know about love! Now leave me alone!" With that, he smacked Bhaltair out of the way. But this time, he didn't get up. "BHALTAIR!" I cried. I ran to him and tried to make him get up, but his shoulder was crushed; he couldn't support himself. I was beginning to lose hope. I was starting to think that he couldn't be stopped. Then, Fergus and I charged at him together, and with the power of our bond that was still strong, the friendship overcame his hate, and Mor'Du burst into a million tiny blue pieces, his final roar echoing into the dusk sky.

**In case you think this is the end, IT'S NOT! I have a lot more planned, so stay tuned!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: After The Battle

Merida's P.O.V:

I couldn't sleep that night after the battle. I kept thinking about how Young Macintosh had put himself between Mor'Du and I, the way he had called "a beautiful girl". Something changed in me when he said that. It made me realize that maybe I didn't have to travel thousands of miles to find my knight in shining armor. Maybe who I was looking for was right there, in the castle, laying in the bed in front of me, wrapped in what looked like hundreds of bandages.

I had walked to his room to visit him and to thank him and to see how he was doing after Mor'Du had nearly killed him. I had knocked on the door gently, just in case he was sleeping, and he called for me to come in. When I walked into the small room, I gasped when I saw him. He had a huge scar over his face, and I could see exactly where all four of Mor'Du's cruel claws had landed.

I looked around the room, sunlight pouring in through the large window and illuminating the whole room, making the lamp on his bedside table useless.

"So, what brings you here, Princess?"

"I could ask you the same question. Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You know very well what. Why did you jump between me and Mor'Du? Why didn't you just keep fighting? And why did you call me beautiful?" He looked a little surprised at such demanding questions. "Help me sit up and I'll explain everything," he sighed. I grabbed him under his arms and gently lifted him up so that he was sitting in bed comfortably. I sat on the edge of his bed and looked at him expectantly. "Oh yeah," he said. "Almost forgot." He took a deep breath. "All those questions have the same, 100% true answer: I like you. You _are _beautiful. I would do anything for you, even let a bear do this to me." He pointed to his scars.

I wasn't completely surprised by his answer, but it was a wee bit shocking, none the less. That kind of thing is always shocking, I guess. That was the first and only time I had ever experienced a boy liking me, and me really, truly feeling the same way.

I just sat there. I couldn't figure out what to say.

"My name's Ailean, by the way. Not Young Macintosh. That's just what people call me." That was all I needed to give me confidence.

"Ailean, I don't really know what to say. You made me really happy. I mean, I was just looking for my true love not two days ago, and now-" I looked into his eyes. "-here you are." I put my hand on his, and he squeezed it gently. We smiled at each other, and I did something I never thought I would do to anybody. Ever. I kissed him on the cheek, and both our faces burned bright red.

There was nothing else left to say. Words weren't needed after that. I ruffled his hair playfully and left. I walked down the hall, thinking about what just happened. Then it all clicked in my mind: Ailean was the man in the crystal ball! That's why he looked so familiar!

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V:

I hurried through the castle as fast as I could to the room where Bhaltair was resting. Mor'Du had crushed his shoulder with one swipe of his massive paw. He was put on strict bed rest, and he couldn't have any visitors until then, and naturally I was very anxious to see about him.

I found his room, and I called for one of the maids to open it for me. Bloody bear paws. They just couldn't twist door knobs. Once she got the door open, I walked inside.

"Hello, my beautiful she-bear." he said in a slightly raspy voice. My face burned red under my fur. I guess it was just instinct. I smiled at him, glad that he was still alive. The doctors had said that it would be a while before he could walk again. I glanced at his shoulder and gasped. It was covered in bandages, and most of his fur was gone from that side from where they had shaved it in order to do emergency surgery.

"Don't worry about that." he said when he saw me staring at his shoulder. "It'll be fine."

"You're still as handsome as ever." I got closer to the bed and stroked through his bangs with my claws gently. I watched as his eyes eventually closed, and soon I heard the deep, rumbling sounds of his snoring. He was sound asleep. I didn't want to wake him up, so I kissed him gently on the lips. "Goodbye, my love," I whispered very softy. I tiptoed out of the room (which wasn't easy for me) and decided to check on Fergus. He never got hurt physically, but all those terrible events happening at once had overcrowded his brain. He needed a break from everything, so I ordered that he spend time in a new room for a while, just until he calmed down a little bit. The guilt still tugged on my heart. I knew part of all this was all my fault. But I just couldn't help how I felt.

It surprised me that we defeated Mor'Du with our strong bond of friendship. I didn't realize that we were still such good friends. I thought he was mad at me. But I was very happy that we were still friends.

I walked through the castle, remembering the time when Merida took her first steps. It had been right there in that hallway, and Fergus had caught her just before she had fallen, desperately trying to run to me. She always was a bit too eager. I could still hear her giggling if I thought hard enough.

I found Fergus's room, and I didn't knock before I went in because I figured that he was just sitting there, thinking. So I just went in, and what I found made me wish that I _had _knocked.

Fergus's P.O.V., about 15 minutes before Elinor arrived at his room.

The sun was shining outside, but I didn't feel like going out there. I didn't feel like doing anything.

I just couldn't believe that Elinor would do something like that. One minute we were a couple, then the next, she was off with some bloody bear that was the son of my biggest enemy!

But then again, they had strong feelings for each other. That was something I just couldn't change. So, I decided to try to live with it.

All of a sudden, I heard a knock at the door. "Maid," the voice on the other side called. "C'mon in, lass." I called.

When she entered the room, she didn't have any kind of cleaning supplies, or any food of any sort. She sat on the edge of my bed and stared into my eyes with a strange expression on her face.

"So, there's been talk around the kingdom that you and the queen have divorced. If you don't mind me asking, is this correct?"

"Aye. That would be correct."

"So is that why you're in here?"

"Well, partly. Many other things caused me to be in here. Not that mind it though." I added. "I like being in here alone, being able to think."

"Do you miss having Elinor as your wife?"

"I miss it more than anything."

"Would you be interested in somebody else?" Where was this crazy made coming up with these questions? It was my own, private life after all!

"I don't know if I can answer that question right now, lass."

"Will this make you answer a bit better?" And without any warning, she pinned me down on the bed and started kissing me! Right on the lips, too! After a few seconds, she released me. "I have always admired you, Your Highness. I was always so jealous of Elinor for having you as a husband. I have loved you for so, so long. And I figured that now was my chance to have you." Without letting me say anything, she pinned me again and resumed kissing me! Then, all of a sudden, I heard the door open, and there stood Elinor, watching as that crazy maid kissed me against my will.

Elinor-Bear's P.O.V: Present time.

There was Fergus, on the bed with some woman, and they were kissing! Wait. That wasn't just any woman.

"You just couldn't stay away from him, could you Forbia?"

"It's not what you think, Elinor!" Fergus cried. "This crazy excuse for a woman came in here and started talking about how we're divorced, and then she started kissing me! But I promise you, all we were doing was kissing." I glared at him. "And I didn't want it!" he defended himself.

Forbia spoke up. "You remembered that I was in love with him? After all these years?"

"Of course. How could I forget something like that?"

Fergus looked entirely confused. "How did you know that, Elinor?"

"Forbia _was _my childhood friend. We did everything together. But when she got a glimpse of you, she claimed it was 'love at first sight'." Forbia huffed. "That's because it was!"

"Well, I don't like you, Forbia. I hardly know you, in the first place. And what you just did doesn't help my opinion of you. And as soon as I'm better, I'm going to banish you from this kingdom. Behavior like that isn't tolerated in this castle. Now go." She turned and left quickly, slamming the door behind her.

Both us were completely silent for what seemed like forever. We didn't know what to say.

Finally, Fergus found something to say.

"How in the world did you end up with someone like _that _as a best friend?" We laughed and laughed, laughing so hard that tears welled in our eyes. When we finally stopped, I said, "She wasn't always like that. I guess her love for you after all these years, combined with the fact that you're now single, drove her over the edge."

"Ah."

"Anyway, did you enjoy that?"

"What are you talking about?! She was as creepy as a one-eyed frog! I will _never _feel that way about her."

"Well, I hope you do find someone that you can be with. I hate for you to be lonely. I don't want you to miss me. I want you to be happy." We hugged each other for a few seconds, then I got up and started to leave. "Trust me, Elinor." he said "I'll find someone someday." I smiled, then left the room, trying to get that disturbing image of Forbia and Fergus out of my mind.

**Ailean's name means "handsome" :3 You pronounce it like "Ay leen". Forbia's name is pronounced like "for bee a". I'm awful at writing pronunciations . Her name means "headstrong". It's the closest thing to a name with a negative meaning as I could find. Ch. 16 eventually! It might be a little while, but don't forget me!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Back to Normal...?

Merida's P.O.V:

It was about a month after the battle, not to mention that Aileen and I had been dating for a month. Well, maybe dating isn't the right word for it. The right term would be "sitting in the castle and doing nothing but holding hands". Yes, I enjoyed it, but I still had one key question in my mind: Who were the king and queen going to be? I was almost positive that bears COULD NOT rule a kingdom. I wondered if Mum was going to make me the queen. The thought scared me a bit, but then I remembered what happened last time I questioned our laws...

Dad had recovered from his breakdown "quite nicely", according to the doctors. He was back to his normal, happy self. I had expected there to be a little tension between him and Mum, but surprisingly, there was none. They acted like the best of friends, which wasn't a bad thing at all. Bhaltair and Mum were as happy as ever, always spending time together, kissing (which grossed me out a bit), holding paws (Is that even entirely possible?), and most of all, just laying together in the forest, enjoying the sunshine and the quiet.

Dad, however, was acting a little strange. Especially around women. I knew why, of course. He was looking for a new wife. The story about the crazy maid Forbia attacking Dad spread around the castle like wildfire. Everyone knew that she was interested in Dad, and everyone cringed at the thought of having her as queen.

I decided to take Aileen and talk with Mum and Dad about who would rule and who would be normal people.

"Why are we doing this again?" he asked.

"Because with my Mum as a bear with some other bear, and Dad not totally sure about his life at the moment, I think it's our responsibility to know where we stand in the kingdom. I might me the queen, and you might be the king."

"Ah. I see."

"Yes. Now, let's find them."

It didn't take long to find Mum. We just looked in the forest. We had to interrupt their "alone time", but she was patient. He looked a little grumpy, but I didn't really care. This was about the fate of the kingdom.

We found Dad flirting with a very pretty woman in the village, and he was doing a pitifully horrible job at it. The woman looked a little frightened, to be honest. But she was trying her best to be polite when she ran screaming from him.

"Wait! Maybe talking about more descendents to the kingdom was too much! How about just dinner?"

"Um, Dad?" He looked over at us with an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Yes, dear?"

"That's not the best pickup line."

"Oh."

We went to the castle together and sat down in the throne room.

Mum spoke up first.

"May I ask why you brought us here, darling?"

I gulped. This was harder than I thought it was going to be. I don't really know why I was so scared of the answer, but Aileen could obviously sense my fear because he squeezed my hand gently. We smiled at each other. I cleared my throat and spoke.

"Well, Aileen and I were just wondering who the king and queen are. You're a bear, and Dad is currently trying to find a wife."

"Probably won't happen," Aileen said quickly in a cough to cover it up. I glared at him and his face turned red.

"Anyway, we were just curious if we were the king and queen or not." They sat there silently, thinking hard. Mum spoke.

"Well, Bhaltair and I wouldn't do very well at ruling the kingdom, seeing as we're bears. And your father can't do it; he has no queen. So I think the best thing to do would be for you and Aileen to marry. You are the heir to the throne after all." She touched her paw to my cheek, and I smiled. "You are growing into the queen I always dreamed you would be. I'm very proud of you, my darling." I looked at Dad, and tears were welling in his eyes. Mum continued.

"If you and Aileen agree, we shall hold the wedding as soon as possible." She and Dad got up and left, leaving us sitting there together. I looked at Aileen and he looked at me. We were nervous, but we loved each other, and we knew we would be able to handle it.

"I love you, Aileen."

"I love you too. Trust me. We'll be great rulers." He looked into my eyes.

"_I know you can do it. You truly are brave."_

**Sorry for the long wait! I was very busy! Sorry it's short as well. I think this enough of a chapter for now. I tried to add some comedy. I hope you liked it!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Day Arrives

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! I kept my promise! I'm here to continue the story, hopefully uninterrupted this time. But I have to say, there won't be too many chapters after this one, simply because I'm running out of ideas. Anyway, enjoy!**

Omniscient P.O.V:

The castle was alive with happy and excited chatter as everyone prepared for the wedding. The baker was making a very large cake. It was chocolate devil's food with white vanilla butter creme frosting with little pink frosting roses scattered all over it. It was 4 tiers of pure confectionery heaven. And, of course, it had a bride and groom on the top, expertly carved out of wood by the witch, who decided that this was a good way to say sorry for casting the curse. The details were phenomenal, right down to Aileen's chiseled muscles and Merida's wild hair.

Merida and Elinor were getting measured for their dresses, and the men (including Bhaltair) were getting measured for their formal kilts and capes. All the villagers were a little surprised about bears wearing clothes, but they knew the seamstress could do it. She was very talented. She carefully wrapped measuring tape around each of them, gasping a little at the size of the bear couples' waists. The poor woman almost got her hands bitten off by Bhaltair when she marveled at Elinor's gigantic size. "Don't worry, dear. You're perfect." He nuzzled her under her chin, and she smiled. "Thank you, darling."

The humans were very patient, and when it was all over, Merida stepped out of the dressing room with a beautiful white dress. It had a long cape that flowed around behind her, with little diamonds studded at the bottom of it. Her veil went halfway down her back and covered her face in a way that made her look even more attractive than usual. Her shoes were white heels made of a soft fabric. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail and shiny silver ribbons in it.

Elinor's dress was emerald green, an almost exact recreation of the dress she always wore when she was a human, except it was a bit more formal. When she saw her daughter, tears formed in her eyes and a huge smile formed on her face. She walked over to Merida and kissed her cheek gently. "You look so beautiful, my dear." Elinor sighed. "Thanks Mum. You don't look too bad either." She smiled and hugged her mother, and they both giggled.

Meanwhile, Aileen's outfit was done, and he was actually quite happy with the job. The cape was made out a handsome royal blue velvet. His kilt was a blue and black plaid, and his shirt was a black cotton V -neck. His black was slicked back, making him look very handsome.

Bhaltair's cape was a deep, blood red, matching his eyes perfectly. His kilt was the same red and black plaid, and his shirt was a gray cotton V-neck. His bangs still hung freely over one of his eyes; he refused to let anyone fix them differently. Fergus was wearing his usual outfit, but it had had the wrinkles pressed out of it and looked rather nice.

"Our ladies will go crazy for us," Bhaltair stated proudly, admiring the seamstress's work in the mirror. "Yeah," agreed Aileen. "Merida's going to love this." He sighed. "I bet she's gorgeous..."

Everyone was seated in the hall when Merida and Fergus walked in, the organist playing the Wedding March. Bhaltair was the best man, and some close friends of Merida's were the bridesmaids. Fergus and Merida walked slowly down the isle while the organist played on, Merida's arm linked with Fergus's large arm. The flowers she held were red roses, the same flowers that Fergus and Elinor had at their wedding. When they arrived at the alter, she received a kiss from her father and her mother. She and Aileen smiled at each other. The priest smiled at the happy couple and announced, "May I have the rings please?"

At that cue, Harris, Hubert, and Hamish tumbled in and took the pillow from Elinor, who warned, "Be careful!" Hubert shard the pillow with Harris, each of them carrying it with one paw. Hamish proudly led the way down the isle.

The priest took the pillow and thanked the boys. He then turned and addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is not an ordinary wedding as you all know. This wedding is the union of Prince Aileen of the Macintosh Clan, and Princess Merida of our very own DunBroch Clan. By these two people becoming a couple, a new king and queen take the throne."

Everyone cheered and clapped, and Elinor and Fergus couldn't have looked happier.

The priest turned back to Merida and Aileen. "Now, each of you take a ring," he instructed. "Aileen, you will go first. Aileen, do you promise to love and cherish this woman for the rest of your life, through happiness and sorrow, and though sickness and health for as long as you shall live?" Aileen smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger. "I do." The priest turned to Merida. "Merida, do you promise to love and cherish this man for the rest of your life, through happiness and sorrow, and through sickness and health for as long as you shall live?" She slipped the ring onto his finger and said, "I do."

"I understand that you both have vows, correct?" They nodded. "I'll go first," Merida said. She cleared her throat.

"Aileen, from the moment I saw you that first day when you and the other suitors arrived at our kingdom, I knew there was something special about you. When my mother got turned into a bear permanently and I went in search of her, I found a fortune teller. I had a vision of a very handsome man and I sitting in the thrones, our children there with us. I knew the shape of him looked oddly familiar, but I didn't know it was you until you saved me from Mor'Du's attack. When you called me beautiful, I almost died on the spot. Not from terror or from Mor'Du, but from happiness that someone actually appreciated me for who I am, not just because I'm the princess. I can never thank you enough for being there for me."

"That was very nice," the priest said. "Aileen?" He stepped forward.

"Merida, you are a truly special person. You're kind, you're caring, and you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. It's a great honor to be chosen by you to be the king of this kingdom. I saved you that day because I already loved you. 'I've loved you since the day we met'. That's from a wonderful song I know, and it's the truest statement I've ever said to anyone. I'll always love you, Merida. I can't wait to start our life together."

Everyone clapped at these beautiful vows, and Elinor started crying tears of joy. "Now, if anyone has any objections to these two people becoming a couple, speak now or forever hold your peace." The room was silent for a few moments.

"Alright then. I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And then, for the first time ever, Merida and Aileen kissed. It their first kiss as a couple and also for them as individuals. When they finally broke the kiss, they wrapped each other in a tender hug.

_And they lived happily ever after..._

**YAY! Wedding! The song that Aileen was talking about was "My Cadence". It's a song based off of the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Even if you're not a fan of the show, you should definitely look it up on YouTube. It just has an amazing theme, and it could be talking about a regular, non-pony couple :D It's a very sweet song, and if you decide to look it up I know you'll see how it connects to Merida and Aileen. Chapter 18 soon!**


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